RIVERSIDE: UCR-spawned company attacks mosquitoes

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âWe start puffing our odors (onto the mosquito) to see if they have an active response or an inhibiting response,â Elkashef said.

They can test up to 100 chemicals on a mosquito, depending upon how long it lives once itâs been placed under the microscope. He said some will last half a day.The lab team also is developing lures and traps for mosquitoes. And there are plans to pursue similar approaches to develop possible tools for repelling disease-carrying insects such as tsetse flies, sand flies and biting midges. Research is already under way for a bed bug remedy.

Frandsen said the company needs to raise $75,000 to conduct its study in Uganda. Once the funds are in hand, he said, he expects to be able to start the field study within 90 days.

âWe are looking at deploying 30,000 Kite patches,â he said.

And while they are sending their product half way around the world, Frandsen said the company plans to stick close to home otherwise.

âWe are committed to being right here in Riverside,â he said. âIf we can do this effectively, we can create a pipeline. To date, weâve acquired two technologies from UCR. The other is a nano tech company that is about ready to make big waves.â

Eventually, he and his colleagues hope to build a hub of start-up technology-based companies.

âItâs important to us to create world-changing technology right here where weâre from,â he said.

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